Nuno Espirito Santo nailed on for top manager award even if Liverpool win Premier League and Champions League

Today at 03:41 AM

Nuno Espirito Santo should be named Manager of the year if Nottingham Forest qualify for the Champions League.

That’s the view of Troy Deeney who believes that even the most optimistic of Forest fans wouldn’t have dreamed of the season they’re having.

Santo’s side face Liverpool in the Premier League on Tuesday night with Arne Slot’s side currently in firm control of the title race as they hold a six-point lead over Arsenal and Forest, who sit second and third respectively.

Given that the Tricky Trees finished 17th in the table last term, it’s been a quite remarkable rise under the Portuguese boss.

It means that the clash at the City Ground is now billed as a battle for the title, which nobody would have predicted.

But while winning the title in his first season in charge would be a massive achievement for Slot, Deeney believes a European finish for Forest would see Nuno pip him to be manager of the year.

"There was talk at the start of the year of Forest being relegated so if they finish in the European places Nuno has to be manager of the year.

"Arne Slot is fantastic and he's done a great job but they brought in one player [Federico Chiesa] so it shows that that squad was already really good.

"He's obviously had to come in and tinker and change it but for what Nuno's doing it's a no-brainer.

"Even the hardest of Liverpool fans would have to say it's hard to give it to Slot.

"If Forest finish second, it's nailed on [for him to win Manager of the Year]. If they finish fourth then there's definitely an argument for it."

Taking charge of the club in December 2023, Santo has worked wonders, helping them avoid relegation despite facing a four-point deduction for breaching PSR rules.

This season, the former Wolves and Tottenham boss has taken the side to dizzying new heights.

Forest have been unstoppable this season having won 12 of their 20 games so far in the Premier League.

As well as scoring 29 times, they’ve conceded just 19 times – the same number as Liverpool – to give them the second-best defensive record in the league.

Asked if Slot deserves to win it if Liverpool add the Champions League trophy to a potential Premier League one, Deeney explained that Liverpool doing that isn’t an outlandish thought given they have done it six times previously.

"I could see [them winning it] – they're a good team and they've done well in the tournament over the last 15 years but for Forest to get into the Champions League?

"Even the Forest owner who loves that club more than anyone because he's paying for it – he wouldn't have stuck a quid on [Champions League qualification] at the start of the year.

"It's just so big a jump that it would have to be Nuno. I'm not saying he's better than Slot, but he'd deserve it in that situation."

While Forest are entering uncharted territory for the modern fans, older ones became used to success in Europe.

Dubbed the ‘Miracle Men’, the side won back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980, with manager Brian Clough taking over the side when they were a mid-table Division Two team in 1975.

The following five years was certainly nothing short of a miracle and now Santo has the current fans dreaming of a return to the big time once more.